What a week! On Tuesday, I presented a workshop related to the Common Core standards for reading; on Friday, I'm presenting an outdoor workshop focused on science standards. Here are the resources that we'll be talking about at Friday's workshop--in between hiking and checking out all of the great locations for science instruction.
Curriculum Framework: Use this page to find the specific standards for each grade level.
Environmental Literacy Plan Draft: Follow the link on this page to learn about Pennsylvania's environmental literacy plan. You can also sign up for the newsletters on the right side of the screen.
Stream Study Practice Samples: At this site, kids can practice assessing the health of a stream with sample stream data.
For a more hands-on activity, I photocopied pictures of different macroinvertebrates and glued them to the bottom of paper "rocks". Then, I arranged various combinations of these "rocks" on large blue paper, and gave each group a different sample stream.
Pennsylvania Geological Survey: Very detailed information about Pennsylvania's geology.
BioBlitz: A BioBlitz is a focused event in which volunteers gather to find and document as many species as possible. Information about conducting a BioBlitz can be found at this website. (Nawakwa would be an ideal location for this. To my knowledge, nothing of this scale has been attempted. It would be fascinating to try to monitor species throughout the year.)
Narrows Stream Bank Stabilization Project: This document shows how stream banks along the Conewago in the Narrows were restored through an EPA project. This would be a good reading selection.
Geology of Adams County: A nice map showing the different formations in Adams County.
Pennsylvania Groundwater areas of concern: This easy article includes the fruit belt as an area of concern for groundwater resources. It would be an interesting text for students to consider in a study of groundwater.
Watershed Alliance of Adams County: A great source for information on local projects and watershed efforts.
Emily,
ReplyDeleteThanks for a great workshop. I enjoyed seeing parts of the camp that I have not had the opportunity to explore. I spent some time looking at your blog of resources. You are one busy lady. i was particularly interested in the narrows project and read that article. I made a list of topics from the science standard "big idea" list. Sometime before school starts, I will match that list to Follett and try to add to our library collection. Hopefully we will have resources for students and teachers relating to those science concepts.
Thanks so much! I had a great day as well. I'm looking forward to seeing the books that you match to the big ideas from the science standards. :) Thank you for your hard work in making sure that we have strong resources!
DeleteEmily,
ReplyDeleteGreat day exploring the trails of Camp Nawakwa! The stream study was particularly interesting, as I now want to compare that stream to the stream adjacent to the high school. I also read your resource entitled, "Stream Study Practice Samples" and practiced two of them. I read the "Narrows Stream Bank Stabilization Project", and now I want to visit those areas of the Narrows to see the improvement of the stream banks.
Thanks so much for a very productive day!
Thanks so much for writing! Glad you had a good day!
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